Produce a glossary of terms specific to the methods and principles of Video Game Design and Video Game Terms. Using a provided template, you must research and gather definitions specific to provided glossary terms. Any definitions must be referenced with the URL link of the website you have obtained the definition.

You must also, where possible, provide specific details of how researched definitions relate to your own production practice.

Name: Natalina Moore

RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide short internet researched definition and URL link)

DESCRIBE THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCHED TERM TO YOUR OWN PRODUCTION PRACTICE?

IMAGE SUPPORT (Provide an image and/or video link of said term being used in a game)

VIDEO GAMES / VIDEO GAME TESTING

Demo “A sample playable demonstration of a game that is intended to entice the player to purchase the full version.”http://www.factmonster.com/science/computers/video-game-glossary.html#c

A game demo is a free sample that the public can play. The game is very near to the end of development. People test the game and this will usually attract them to buy the full version of the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF75Bg5R7OA&list=UUd7augJhXMeDDcWSmEck9EQ&index=3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtB7sUbmmTcThe video above is relevant to my work because it is footage of Naruto Storm Revolution Demo which is the new Naruto game which is being released this week.

Beta “a nearly complete prototype of a game. Users often test beta versions to alert developers of bugs or problems.”http://www.factmonster.com/science/computers/video-game-glossary.html#c

A beta is a proto type of an almost complete game, People play betas to test the versions to alert developers of the bugs or problems in the game

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140709170300/destinypedia/images/7/71/Destiny_Beta_logo.jpg

The image above is relevant to the my work as it is an example of a beta.

Alpha “The first playable version of a game. Alpha software generally barely runs and is missing major features like gameplay and complete levels”http://uk.ign.com/wikis/gaming-terms-lexicon/A

An alpha is the first playable version of a game; it usually barely runs and have big parts of the game missing and isn’t very playable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0k8_XOHJfM

This video is relevant to my work as it shows the alpha of elder scrolls online.

Pre-Alpha

“The software is still under active development and not feature complete or ready for consumption by anyone other than software developers. There may be milestones during the pre-alpha which deliver specific sets of functionality, and nightly builds for other developers or users who are comfortable living on the absolute bleeding edge.http://blog.codinghorror.com/alpha-beta-and-sometimes-gamma/

This is an even earlier version of the game, so it is not ready for the public to test it or anyone but the developers. The developers will set milestone in the alpha for them to work on but it is a very rough version of the game.

The picture above is relevant to my work as it is an example of the pre-alpha from Fallout.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mSJAzSnQGFE/U_PDhpjqtWI/AAAAAAAA7i4/p5-FT0mGybE/s1600/Capture.PNG

Gold A game has "Gone Gold" when the final master copy has been produced at the developer and sent off for replication, packaging and shipment. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gone%20Gold

The term gone gold means when the game has been finished and sent off from the developer. It means when the sales are doing well and is just the finished product.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt3LIl8JJTg

This video is relevant to my work as it complains what going gold means and the example is Titanfall.

Debug debugging is the process of locating and fixing or bypassing bugs (errors) in computer program code or the engineering of a hardware device.http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/debugging

Debugging Is where the programmers fix the bugs in the program. They will locate and fix bugs which are errors in the computer program code.

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/minecraft-de.gamepedia.com/thumb/d/dc/Debug-Information-1.8.png/500px-Debug-Information-1.8.png?version=103d274b2baef55b9f5bf302303e705c

This image is relevant to my work as it shows the debug screen from minecraft

Automation

the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate automaticallyhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automation

Automation is the process of making things into something that will work automatically. For example a apparatus, process or a system work automatically.

This picture is relevant to my work as automation is making things run automatic like a machine and here is an example of a part of a machinehttp://www.exacttarget.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/automation_2_w10241.jpeg

White-Box Testing

A software testing technique whereby explicit knowledge of the internal workings of the item being tested are used to select the test data. It uses specific knowledge of programming code to examine outputs. The test is only accurate if the tester knows what the program is supposed to do.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/White_Box_Testing.html

White box testing is a software testing technique that can only be used if the programmer has explicit knowledge of the internal working of the item or object that is being tested to select the test data. It needs specific knowledge of the programming code to examine the end result of the thing that is being tested. This test will only work and be accurate and effective if the tester knows what the program is supposed to do

This image is relevant to my work as it is an example of white box testing

http://engronline.ee.memphis.edu/eece3220/chap9/img017.GIF

Bug A problem, usually one that can be fixed by changing some code.http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson28.html

A bug is a problem or something that is wrong in the code that can be fixed by correcting or change some of the code.

GAME ENGINES

Vertex Shader

a programmable function in display adapters that offers a graphics application programmer flexibility in rendering an image. The vertex shader is used to transform the attributes of vertices (points of a triangle) such as color, texture, position and direction from the original color space to the display space. It allows the original objects to be distorted or reshaped in any manner.http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/53754/vertex-shader

A vertex shader is a programmable function which enables programmers to have flexibility in rendering an image. The vertex shader can transform the shape and allows the original image to be distorted or reshaped in any manner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KElJA_gieYQ

This video is an example of a vertex shader.

GAME ENGINES

Pixel Shader

Pixel shaders are tiny programs that can do operations on a single pixel on the screen The most common use for pixel shaders is 'shading' and approximation to real world lightingThey are used as alternatives to the standard texturing phase.http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/22286/what-is-a-pixel-shader

Pixel shaders and tiny programs that do operations on a single pixel on the screen. This allows the programmer to be more precise and is commonly used for shading and to make the background look more realistic

This picture is an example of a pixel shader. On the right is the pixel shader compared to no pixel shader. The picture shows that the pixel shader improves the quality of the image.

Post Processing

quality-improvement image processingpost processing is used in 3D rendering, instead of rendering 3D objects directly to the display the scene is first rendered to a buffer in the memory of the video card then pixel shaders are used to apply the post-processing filters to the image buffer before displaying the screen.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Post processing is a procedure in which images are processed for quality improvement. They do this by first rendering the scene to a buffer in the memory of the video card then pixel shaders are used to apply the post processing filters to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDpU58IIRPU

This video is a good example as it explains what a post postprocessor is.

Video_post-processing the image before displaying the screen.

Rendering

Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model by means of a computer programs. It is processed and output to an digital image or raster graphics.http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Rendering_(computer_graphics).html

Rendering is the the process when you use a computer program to generate a image, what you create is processed to an digital image .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ysc9PViwgM

This video is relevant to my work as it explains what rendering is.

Normal Map

A 2D texture map is an image added to a 3D model that provides a higher level of detail, wrapping around whatever 3D art you have to apply or modify certain attributes like color, transparency, shininess, reflection, and higher detail.http://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/articles/gamedev-glossary-what-is-a-normal-map--gamedev-3893

A normal map is a 2D texture map which is added to a 3D model, this provides a higher level of detail as the image wraps around the 3D art that you have applied.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-6Yu-nTbUU

This video is relevant to my work as it explains what a normal map and gives examples.

Entity An "entity" in 0 A.D.'s terminology is the internal representation of a game object. It could be a unit, structure, tree, or even a decorative actor like a clump of grasshttp://trac.wildfiregames.com/wiki/EntityEntity: A unique ID that tags each game-object as a separate item.http://entity-systems.wikidot.com/

An entity is anything in the game which is an representation of a game object like a object or structure, chair or tree. It tags each game object as a separate item.

UV Map A 3D object has many sides and a computer doesn’t know how to correctly put a 2D texture onto a 3D object. A UV map is basically the 3D model stretched out into a flat 2D image. Each face on your polygon object is tied to a face on the UV map. Now placing a 2D texture onto this new 2D representation of your 3D object is much easier.http://blog.digitaltutors.com/cover-bases-common-3d-texturing-terminology/

A UV map is basically the 3D model stretched out into a 2D image. Because a 3D object has many sides, the computer doesn’t correctly know how to put a 2D texture onto a 3D object so the polygon object is tied to a face on the UV map so placing a 2D texture onto this new 2D representation of the 3D object is easier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIvTUDgaXik

This video is relevant because it explains what a UV map is and the basics of an UV map.

Procedural

A procedural texture is generated from repeating one

A procedural texture is when images are

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkTIZ1GldgQThis video shows some examples of procedural texture and is therefore relevant

Texture small image, plus some pseudo-random, gradient variations (called Perlin noise). Procedural textures look more natural than static rectangular textures, and they look less distorted on spheres. On big meshes, their repetitiveness is much less noticable than with tiled seamless textureshttp://hub.jmonkeyengine.org/wiki/doku.php/jme3:terminology

repeated from one small image plus some variations.

to my work

Physics Computer animation physics or game physics involves the introduction of the laws of physics into a simulation or game engine, particularly in 3D computer graphics, for the purpose of making the effects appear more real to the observer.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics

Physics in games must be the realist to physics in real life. Otherwise the game will not be realist. If physics in game are made to work well then they will be the same as physics in real life.

http://www.dsogaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/skate-3-physics.jpg

This image is relevant because it shows an example of physics in games gone wrong. As in real life benches cannot fly as high as the tops of trees.

Collision Detecting an intersection between one or more objects in your game. Player & enemy, enemy & weapon, player & wallhttp://www.creepyed.com/2012/09/game-development-101-glossary-part-0/

A collision game engine is where it detects the intersection between objects in the game. For example the player and object, player and enemy or enemy and weapon.

http://www.silverlightshow.net/Storage/Users/MisterGoodcat/__image_10.png

This picture is relevant to my work because it shows the collision path of two spirtes so it is a good example of collision.

Lighting Placing computer-simulated lights into a 3-D environment.http://theanimationarchive.com/terms

Lighting in games is where they place computer simulated lights in a 3D environment to make it look more realistic.

This is picture is relevant to my work as it is an example of lighting.

http://media.moddb.com/legacy/images/tutorials/23/239/gallery/t_246.jpg

AA – Anti-Aliasing

Anti-Aliasing is a method of fooling the eye that a jagged edge is really smooth.http://www.pantherproducts.co.uk/index.php?pageid=antialiasing

Anti Aliasing is when a jagged or blocky edge appears like an smooth edge. It is fooling the eye to think the jagged edge is smooth.

This picture is relevant because it is an example of Anti-Aliasing. You can see that the anti aliasing looks blurry close up but far away it will look smooth.

LoD – Level of Detail

Level of detail is a general design term for video game landscapes in which closer objects are rendered with more polygons than objects that are farther away. Generally speaking, the level of detail is dictated by the game's system requirementshttp://www.techopedia.com/definition/11791/level-of-detail-lod

Level of detail is when the landscapes and background that are closer are rendered with more polygons than the objects that are farther away, so the things which are closer have more detail than things that are farther away. The level of detail is dictated by the games systems requirements and the processor.

This picture is relevant to my work as it is a good example of level of detail in a game. Because as you can see the trees and castle have a lot more detail than the distant mountains in the back.http://www.quiptiq.com/images/minecraft/render/GH_spawn6.png

Animation

Animation is the process of displaying still images in a rapid sequence to create the illusion of movement. These images can be hand drawn, computer generated, or pictures of 3D objects.http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-animation.htm

Animation is when you display still images in a consecutive sequence to fool the eye and create the illusion of movement. Examples of the images can be hand drawn or computer generated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZZIX781NmA

This video is relevant to my work as it in a example of an animated scene from final fantasy 8.

Sprite Sprites are 2D bitmaps that are drawn directly to a render target without using the pipeline for transformations, lighting or effects. Sprites are commonly used to display information such as health bars, number of lives, or text such as scores. Some games, especially older games, are composed entirely of sprites.http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb203919.aspx

Sprites are 2D bitmaps which means they are 2D images and could be anything; they are drawn directly without using transformations. Sprites can be anything but they are normally used to display information like heath bars, number of lives and some older games are composed entirely of sprites which mean character can also be sprites.

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/247/6/5/megaman_running_sprites_by_cobalt_blue_knight-d2y1i8s.jpg

Scene An individual cut in an animated film.http://theanimationarchive.com/terms

A scene is a single cut or cut scene in an animated film or game. Where the player doesn’t have any control over what is happening. They are usually in third or first person and is normally dialog or and action event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KxjGn30PDA

This video is relevant because it is an example of a scene in a game where you have no control all you can do is watch.

Library A library is a useful framework to tackle a specific need within a game enginehttp://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/10770/whats-the-difference-between-a-library-and-an-engine

A library is a framework which is used to correct or used for a specific need in a game engine.

This image is an example of the framework libraryUI UL stands for Underwriters

Laboratories, a non-profit organisation. Basically what they do is test different parts of products (AC Cord, microchips etc) and see if they are susceptible to catching on firehttp://www.answers.com/Q/What_does_UL_mean

UL is a term used for Underwriters Laboratories. They are the non-profit organisation and they test the different parts of the products to see how safe they are and if they can catch on fire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66SQU46xy8Q

This video is relevant to my work as it shows Underwrites Laboratories demonstrating one of their fire tests

Frames Motion picture film is made up of a string of individual frames that, when viewed in rapid succession, create the illusion of movement. There are twenty-four frames per second to film.http://theanimationarchive.com/terms

Frames are the individual scene which makes up a motion picture film or cutscene. They are played in rapid succession after each other and create the illusion which tricks the eye into thinking that its moving.

This picture is relevant to my work as it an example of frames.Concept The development of

images from imagination to show what does not exist on this world.http://moberly.k12.mo.us/Forms/MATC/wd/siteww/defart.html

an idea, or thought which describes the whole game or what it’s about.

This image is the orginal concept art of final fantasy 7 character Cloud. This is

releveant to my work as it is an example of a concept created from someones imagination.http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130202104438/finalfantasy/images/7/70/Cloud_Strife_Sketch2.png

Event The core concept in an event driven game engine is the message loop.http://cboard.cprogramming.com/game-programming/122082-event-driven-game-engine.html

An event is something that happens in the game. Usually the decisions the player has made earlier in the game will lead to different events later on in the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9s0mP6q-3w

Pathfinding

Pathfinding or pathing is the plotting, by a computer application, of the shortest route between two pointshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding

Pathfinding is when the computer plots the shortest route between two points,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGC_kBCoHYc